IRON WILL: Art Against the Virus

In November 2020, in 100 outdoor locations across Rome, Officina Alviti will present Iron Will, an exhibition by the artists Cristiano and Patrizio Alviti curated by Werner Bortolotti and which, thanks to its very original concept, will be accessible to a large audience overcoming all protocols imposed by the current pandemic, returning art to its function of necessary means for evasion and nourishment of the soul.
The idea was to transform the city of Rome into a huge exhibition venue, creating an exhibition open to all by using in an unusual and clever way of the spaces of advertising posts and thus exploiting, in a more noble way, those channels usually used for mere commercial purposes.
Drawing on the huge body of works produced during the lockdown phase, ranging between monotype engravings, trial proofs and plates, Cristiano and Patrizio Alviti, renowned and established artists active in the capital, as well as founders of Officina Alviti, when it was the time to share their work, came up with a totally original formula that would allow them to reach as many “visitors” as possible, overcoming any possible obstacle caused by the current health emergency, which has prevented many projects from taking place, not only in the cultural world. They reproduced their works on street advertising posters (each billboard features a different work with its caption) and organized Iron Will, an exhibition in 100 outdoor spaces in the city.
The works are printed with a press built by the artists specifically for this project (Cristiano and Patrizio are also known for being great craftsmen in the art world) and which allows for large formats and for considerable weight of the plates.
With Iron Will they wanted to propose a new way of enjoying and experiencing art, not as something detached, distantly pigeonholed, but as an essential component of daily life.